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Madam President: Why this election is important for women

by Anna DuBro

I hung a Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC) poster in my room in 2014, proudly announcing my support for the former Secretary of State who would not announce her candidacy for another year. I have a HRC bumper magnet on my car, and a sticker on my water bottle. I have faith that Hillary will be a strong commander-in-chief and a superb first female president. I am ready to take this monumental step in achieving gender equality, and I am ready for Hillary.

One of the main arguments I’ve heard from people who either support her opponent or don’t support either candidate is that Hillary is trying to play the “woman card,” and that people are voting for her solely because she is women. This suggests that people, particularly women voters  aren’t focusing on issues that matter, and frankly, I find it offensive.

Women do care. We care about the economy and foreign policy and immigration reform. Women care, we are watching, and we vote. It just so happens that the candidate who has the most experience is a woman.

A poster exemplifying Hillary’s dedication to the people with a twist on her campaign slogan.  (Photo by Anna DuBro).

I have never encountered a single person that supports Hillary solely on the basis of her gender. Ultimately, #ImWithHer because #ShesWithUs. She believes in comprehensive gun reform, understands the urgency of police violence, has experience in foreign policy, and has fought tirelessly for health care. She has championed women and families her entire career and will continue to do so in office.

However, I’m not going to lie and say that Hillary being a woman doesn’t play a contributing factor in my support for her.

As a woman and a feminist, seeing a woman smashing glass ceilings is, for lack of a better word, awesome. I want my grandma, a vehement fighter for women’s rights during the Women’s Liberation Movement of the ‘70s, to see a woman in the Oval Office. Not long ago, women couldn’t fathom the idea of a female president. The who have fought tirelessly for equal rights deserve to see that their efforts have impacted the world. I want girls to grow up seeing, for the first time, that they truly can be anything they want to be.

When Hillary Clinton was born in 1947, there were no women serving in the senate. When Hillary was elected as the New York senator in 2001, she set yet another record, becoming the first female senator from New York. The 107th Congress had a record-breaking number of female senators, rising to a staggering 13%. Hillary, in everything that she does, is making history.

There is a certain hatred for Hillary that I just don’t fully understand. The hatred seems to stem from the societal hatred of women. Whether it be subconscious or not, I think that so many attacks against Hillary are because of her sex.

The constant commentary on her look, or the criticism of her emotions, or lack of, and so much more are issues faced only by a female candidate. I’ve even seen an image of a man wearing a shirt that read, “I wish Hillary had married OJ.”

America has come an extremely long way in a very short amount of time, and the past is not so far in the past. Estelle Liebow Schultz was born in 1918, two years prior to the passage of the 19th Amendment. She has already cast her absentee ballot for Hillary Rodham Clinton. While we have come so far, we still have so much to do before we can actually be the country of equality we claim to be. Electing Hillary Clinton will change the world as we know it and will be one giant leap for womankind.

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Teens and Capitalism: Why this election is important for young voters

by David Martinez

Capitalism and teenagers. Two words rarely placed side by side, and scarcely ever associated. A 2015 Rupe poll shows that greater than ⅓ of millennials hold a negative opinion of capitalism, and a majority (58% to be exact) hold positive views of socialism. The most common explanation for this seems to be axiomatic: younger people are naive and rebellious.

When speaking in regards to modern history, young people have been hugely influential. The civil rights movement in the 1960s, the push for the end of the Vietnam War, and increased environmental awareness have all been supported heavily by those of a younger disposition.

However, issues arise when the rebellious attitudes of the youth are misplaced, and during this election cycle it is absolutely crucial that they are not. For young people, it is critical to understand that the capitalist system is increasingly the unconventional system.

In order for an act or ideal to be considered rebellious, majority support for the opposing ideal or act is a prerequisite. When there is no plurality, there is no rebellion. So, is there majority support for free market capitalism? Well, according to our political leaders – who are elected to represent us let’s not forget – there no longer is.

It’s quite clear that Trump shows contempt for the free market system. He bashes free trade at every opportunity, and pushes for high tariffs and protectionism – which would have the unintended consequence of pushing prices up and increasing unemployment (as it has done with US sugar).

Clinton’s economic policy also rejects the free market. In true Keynesian fashion, Clinton plans to spend close to $1 trillion in public works programs. And, with the unveiling of her dirigiste-style drug price controls in response to EpiPen price hikes this summer, her attempt to tackle “big pharma” is aimed at entirely the wrong institution, and highlights her misunderstanding of free markets. In this instance, government is the problem, not markets.

Prices rise when there is a lack of competition, as lack of competition means a decrease in supply. What creates this lack of competition? Well, obviously, the only institution capable: government.

With the regulation on consumer drugs being so high, companies find it difficult to get patents. As a result, only a few can sell the products, causing a corporatist structure resembling the very bogeyman Clinton claims resulted naturally from the capitalist system.

Put clearly, government actions are precisely what creates these issues to begin with, and no extension of governmental feasance can solve them. Rather dangerously, the main party candidates at best affect to misunderstand this, and at worst are clueless to it.

There is quite a touching conclusion to C.S. Lewis’s poem ‘Evensong’ that is apt to the discussion. Lewis speaks to what can only be assumed to be God, asking him to guard him from the fears of darkness:

“–Darker falls the curtain,

Stifling-close ‘tis drawn:

But amidst that prison

Still thy voice can find us,

And, as Thou hast risen,

Raise us in Thy dawn.”

The capitalist system is quickly becoming imprisoned by the noxious darkness of our political leaders. Without natural teenage rebellion, then the path may be irreversible. Rebellion could take different forms: Perhaps asking the tough questions of the candidates, or telling them to no longer sell party lines. In any case, the point is this: do not misdirect rebellion at the capitalist system, but at the candidates who wish to temper it.

Ultimately, young people should use the most important tool they have to rebel: their vote. For me, this would mean a vote for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.[/column]